What is adoption?
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:15-17
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:4-5
Adoption is when God makes us his sons and daughters through faith in Jesus Christ.
Adoption is a beautiful thing. Perhaps you were adopted. Or maybe you know someone who’s been adopted—maybe a friend or someone you know from church or school. Sometimes there are family challenges and difficulties, and even tragedies. As horrible as these things are, adoption can be a really wonderful thing—Someone comes and says: “Hey, I love that child. I want them. I’ll try to give them a life they couldn’t have imagined even in their wildest dreams.”
So, as a concept, we understand adoption. But maybe you’re wondering, what does adoption have to do with our relationship with God?
When we sinned, we were separated from God. Each of us went our own way, into separate directions from the full life God created us to live. But God didn’t leave us there. He pursued us and chose to call us his own. He looks at each of us wandering and says, “Hey, I love that child. I want them. I’ll give them a life they couldn’t imagine even in their wildest dreams.”
Jesus isn’t selfish with the Father’s love. He happily shares it. He wants more and more people in his family. He wants his Father to have even more children! In fact, it is Jesus, by the Spirit, that makes us sons and daughters of God the Father.
Spend time asking God to reveal to you what it means that he has adopted you into his family.